# How to Prepare Your Lotus for a Road Trip Packing, fuel range, ground clearance, spares and checks for touring in your Lotus, from a weekend in Wales to two weeks in the Alps. Source: https://lotustrails.com/guides/road-trip-preparation/ A Lotus will happily cross a continent. Owners drive Elises, Exiges, Evoras and Emiras from the UK to the Alps, across the United States and around Australia every year. The car needs a little more thought than a hatchback, mostly because it is low, light on luggage space and has a small fuel tank. ## Before you leave Do these a couple of weeks ahead, so there is time to fix what you find. - **Tyres.** Check tread across the full width and look at the date code. Track-biased tyres such as the Yokohama A048 or Toyo R888R are poor in standing water and cold weather. For a tour that might see rain at 2,000 m, a road tyre is the safer choice. - **Brakes.** Fresh fluid is the single most useful thing you can do before a mountain trip. Long descents boil old fluid. Check pad depth and take a spare front set if you plan a track day on the way. - **Cooling.** Inspect the radiator and its end tanks for weeping, and check the coolant level when cold. Original radiators with plastic end tanks are a known weak point as they age. - **Suspension.** Look at the rear toe-links and their ball joints, the wishbone bushes and the damper bodies. Listen for knocks on a rough road. - **Oil.** Toyota 2ZZ engines use some oil when driven hard. Check the level at every fuel stop and carry a litre of the right grade. - **Geometry.** If the car is on aggressive track settings, a road alignment will make it more stable on motorways and kinder to tyres. - **Battery.** A weak battery will show itself on the first cold morning at altitude. ## Ground clearance A standard car has roughly 130 mm of ground clearance, and less under the front splitter on an Exige or a car with lowered suspension. In practice this means: - Approach ferry ramps, car park entrances and hotel driveways at an angle. - Tell the ferry or train loading crew that the car is low. They deal with it every day and will put you on the flat. - Watch for speed humps in alpine villages, which are often steeper than they look. - On rough roads, drive around potholes, not through them. The front clam is expensive. ## Fuel and range The tank holds about 40 litres on four-cylinder Elise-platform cars; the Evora and Emira carry around 60. Driven gently, a naturally aspirated Elise will cover 350 to 400 km between fills. In the mountains, on cam and at altitude, plan on 250 km. Fill up before you start a pass, not at the top of it. In rural France and Italy many stations are unmanned at lunchtime and on Sundays and take cards only. Supercharged cars want high-octane fuel. Check availability before a trip to remote areas. ## Packing On an Elise or Exige the boot behind the engine holds about 110 litres and gets warm. Two soft bags fit; hard cases do not. An Evora or Emira has more room, including space behind the seats, but the same rule about heat applies. Keep anything that minds heat, such as electronics, chocolate and medication, in the cabin. There is space behind the seats for a jacket and a small bag, and in the passenger footwell if you are alone. A sensible touring kit: - Tyre sealant and a 12 V compressor (there is no spare wheel) - One litre of engine oil and a small funnel - A basic tool roll, cable ties, tape and a tow eye - Warning triangle, high-visibility vests and whatever else local law requires - A microfibre towel for the inside of the screen and the sills after rain - Earplugs for motorway days ## On the road **Roof.** The soft top is quick once you know it. Practise before you leave. A hardtop is quieter and more secure for a long tour, though you cannot stow it. **Noise and fatigue.** An hour on a hairpin pass is more tiring than it feels. Plan shorter days than you would in a normal car: 300 km with a couple of passes is a full day. **Altitude.** Naturally aspirated engines lose roughly 10 per cent of their power for every 1,000 m. On the Stelvio or the Beartooth Highway you will notice it. Supercharged cars lose less. **Weather.** Mountain weather turns fast. Snow is possible on the high alpine passes in any month. Check the pass status in the morning before you commit to a route. **Security.** These cars attract attention. Choose hotels with off-street or underground parking where you can, and check the ramp angle first. ## Paperwork For cross-border trips carry the registration document, insurance certificate and your licence. Check that your policy covers every country on the route, and read the wording on track use and on toll circuits such as the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which many policies exclude. Switzerland and Austria need a motorway vignette; several countries have low-emission zones that require a sticker ordered in advance. ## Where to go Start with the [trail guides](/trails/). For a first European tour, the [Black Forest High Road](/trails/black-forest-high-road/) on the way down, then the [Furka, Grimsel and Susten loop](/trails/furka-grimsel-susten-loop/) and the [Stelvio Pass](/trails/stelvio-pass/) make a week that is hard to beat.